Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis): The "laughing" green woodpecker of our gardens!
The Green Woodpecker, a brightly plumed bird often seen on lawns searching for ants.
Introduction: The bird with the loud laugh
The Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis) is one of the most recognizable woodpeckers in our countryside and gardens. This Garden Bird, with its predominantly green plumage and red crown, is often identified by its distinctive call, a long, cackling laugh that echoes through the forest. Unlike other woodpeckers, the Green Woodpecker spends a large part of its time on the ground, where it forages for its favorite food: ants. This guide invites you to discover the unique characteristics of this fascinating bird, from its identification to its feeding behavior.
Identification: Green plumage and red crown
Identifying the Green Woodpecker is relatively easy thanks to its appearance and behavior.
Plumage and Characteristics
Color: The Green Woodpecker sports bright green plumage on its upperparts, a very visible yellow rump in flight, and grey-green underparts. Its head is adorned with a vivid red crown.
Face: It has a black mask around the eye. The male is distinguished by a red moustache bordered with black, while the female's is entirely black. Juveniles have duller, mottled plumage.
Size: It is a large woodpecker, generally measuring between 30 and 36 cm (11.8-14.2 inches) long, with a wingspan of 40 to 48 cm (15.7-18.9 inches). Its weight ranges from 138 to 250 grams (4.9-8.8 oz).
Flight: The Green Woodpecker has a characteristic undulating flight, alternating phases of rapid wing beats and short glides with wings folded.
Tongue: It possesses a remarkably long and sticky tongue, which it can project several centimeters to catch insects.
The Green Woodpecker is often observed on the ground in lawns, hopping around searching for ant nests, which is a distinctive behavior among woodpeckers.
Scientific Dimensions and Records (Green Woodpecker)
Characteristic
Male
Female
Record / Average
Length
30 – 36 cm
30 – 36 cm
32 cm (average)
Weight
138 – 250 g
138 – 250 g
138 – 250 g (adults)
Wingspan
40 – 50 cm
40 – 50 cm
40 – 50 cm
Flight speed
Not specified
Not specified
Not specified
Life expectancy
7 – 12 years
7 – 12 years
Up to 12 years (in the wild)
These figures confirm the Green Woodpecker as a medium-sized bird, recognizable by its green plumage and arboreal behavior.
Our Ornithologist's Tip
By the Les-Oiseaux.com team, published on September 02, 2025
My advice: To encourage the presence of the Green Woodpecker in your garden, favor an environment with mature trees (even dead wood) and lawns where ant nests can thrive naturally. Avoid the use of pesticides that would destroy its primary food source. Although it does not visit feeders, a diverse garden rich in insects is an ideal habitat for this useful bird that helps regulate ant populations.
Habitat and Nesting: From soft wood to cavities
The Green Woodpecker is an adaptable bird that thrives in various environments, provided it finds trees and foraging areas.
Habitat
The Green Woodpecker inhabits open woodlands, hedgerows, parks, large gardens, orchards, and woodland edges. It is found from plains up to 1500-3000 meters (4900-9800 feet) in mountainous areas. It particularly appreciates areas where it can find large lawns to search for ants.
The Nest
The Green Woodpecker does not build a traditional nest, but excavates a "nest hole" or cavity in the trunk of a tree, often dead or with soft wood. Both parents work for two to four weeks to dig this hole, typically located between 2 and 10 meters (6-33 feet) above the ground. The cavity has a circular or oval entrance leading to an incubation chamber lined with wood chips. The female lays 5 to 7 glossy white eggs. Incubation lasts 15 to 21 days, carried out by both parents, with the male incubating at night. The young, fed on regurgitated ants, leave the nest approximately 20 to 27 days after hatching.
Geographical Range and Distribution Map
The map below illustrates the extensive breeding, non-breeding, and passage ranges of the Green Woodpecker across the globe.
Breeding Range
Non-breeding Range
Passage Area
Migration: A sedentary bird
Unlike many birds, the Green Woodpecker is primarily a sedentary species. It generally does not migrate long distances and remains within its range throughout the year. Its ability to find food, even in winter, by foraging in ant nests, allows it to avoid long journeys.
Diet & Feeding: The ant specialist
The Green Woodpecker is an almost exclusive myrmecophage, meaning it feeds mainly on ants and their pupae. It spends long periods on the ground, exploring lawns and woodland edges in search of ant nests. It uses its powerful beak to pierce the soil or wood and its incredibly long and sticky tongue to extract the ants. Its diet is occasionally supplemented by other insects, larvae, earthworms, molluscs, and sometimes a few fruits or seeds in winter. It does not typically visit feeders.
Vocalizations: The famous "laugh" of the Green Woodpecker
The Green Woodpecker is famous for its vocalizations, which are among the most distinctive in the avian kingdom. Its "song" is not melodious, but rather a series of piercing calls.
Listen to the characteristic call of the Green Woodpecker:
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The Green Woodpecker's most famous call is a powerful, prolonged "laugh," often described as a "kluh kluh kluh kluh." It also emits isolated "kyack" or "kewk" calls. Although it belongs to the woodpecker family, it very rarely drums on trees, unlike other species such as the Great Spotted Woodpecker; its drumming primarily serves to assess wood texture for food.
Other species to know: Don't confuse it!
While few birds are frequently confused with the Green Woodpecker, sometimes its flight silhouette might briefly evoke that of a bird like the **Blackbird** or the **Barn Swallow** due to their presence in similar habitats. However, their characteristics are very different:
Cuckoo
Known for its distinctive "cuckoo" call, this bird is a brood parasite, laying its eggs in the nests of other bird species. It has a slender, grey body and is often mistaken for a raptor due to its flight silhouette. Cuckoos primarily feed on large insects, especially hairy caterpillars.
Although its agile silhouette can be observed in the same environment, the Barn Swallow is quite different from the Green Woodpecker. It has a shiny blue-black back, creamy underparts, and a red throat. Its tail is very long and deeply forked. It hunts insects in flight and almost never lands on the ground like the Green Woodpecker.
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Conservation Status & Threats
The Green Woodpecker is classified as "Least Concern" on the IUCN Red List. It is considered common in most of its range and is a protected species in many countries. However, local populations can be affected by various threats:
Habitat loss: The destruction or degradation of open woodlands, hedgerows, and large gardens can reduce nesting and foraging sites.
Pesticide use: The reduction of ant populations, its main food source, due to pesticides in agricultural areas, can have a negative impact.
Lack of old trees: The scarcity of dead or soft-wood trees, essential for creating its nest holes, is a limiting factor.
Protecting old trees and promoting biodiversity-friendly practices in gardens and landscapes are crucial to ensure the long-term survival of the Green Woodpecker.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Green Woodpecker
How to identify a Green Woodpecker?
The Green Woodpecker is a large bird with predominantly green plumage, a distinctive red crown on its head, and a yellow rump clearly visible in flight. Its face has a black mask, and the male has a red moustache bordered with black, while the female's is entirely black.
Where does the Green Woodpecker build its nest?
The Green Woodpecker excavates its nest in cavities within dead or soft-wood tree trunks, usually at a height of 2 to 10 meters (6-33 feet) from the ground. Both parents participate in creating this nesting hole, which is often reused or a new one is excavated each year.
What is the typical call of the Green Woodpecker?
The Green Woodpecker is famous for its call, a distinctive long, cackling laugh, often described as a « kluh kluh kluh kluh ». It also emits shorter calls like « kyack » or « kewk ». Unlike other woodpeckers, it rarely drums on tree trunks to communicate.
What does the Green Woodpecker eat?
The Green Woodpecker is primarily myrmecophagous, feeding mainly on ants and their larvae. It uses its long, sticky tongue to extract them from ant nests on the ground. Its diet is supplemented by other insects, worms, molluscs, and sometimes fruits or seeds in winter.
